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Folk and homemade health

nobyline

Updated:
Aug. 31, 2012, 5 a.m.

What do the call letters I and S in WIS TV and radio represent ?

The Cherokee Indians would mix and pulverize equal parts unicorn root, turnip, and ash berries and then add to gin in order to cure what body affliction?

Why were horses that wintered in South Carolina usually more healthy than others?

Frank Goodale and Likie Beleos both contend that taking pure coconut oil will help delay Alzheimer disease and in some cases reverse the stages of cognitive impairment. Frank has an Internet site where a doctor used the oil to help her afflicted husband overcome this ‘diabetes of the brain.’

Ed Walden suffered from indigestion and heart burn for decades. After he began drinking apple juice and eating raisins which had been soaked in gin, his heartburn disappeared.

Glen and Nancy Smith had a good friend who loved hot spicy food, but suffered severe heart burn afterwards. A doctor advised him to eat a dill pickle an hour before heading out for some Tex-Mex.

Andy Denton’s father told him if he drank pickle juice he wouldn’t become overweight. Some athletic teams drink pickle juice before hot weather games to prevent muscle cramps. With the huge success of the Camden volleyball program, many young ladies enjoyed the opportunity of playing volleyball in college. Summer Owens Rigsby, Lauren Bowers Miles, Marlee Marsh and Gretchen Williams Beckham all played at Converse where the coach had brought the practice of taking ice baths from the University of Tennessee. The tubs would be full of ice and the young ladies would sit in them between games. This ice bath regimen is now used by many professional teams. Water therapy is now a common practice for college and pro players to rehab, particularly those who have damaged knees. An athlete can duplicate the cardio workout without using the weight-bearing muscles. Many colleges now use treadmills to work out the 300 pounders because it does not put so much pressure on the knees.

In the mountains in the winter, the Cherokees would often have someone with a frozen limb. The cure was to put the limb into cold water until the frost was out and then rub bear grease very vigorously on the limb.

In 1958, Dr. D.C. Jarvis, a fifth generation Vermonter, wrote the book “Folk Medicine” which sold more than 3 million copies. This book is a treasure of stories concerning the health benefits of honey, apple cider vinegar, iodine, and other foods for health. Here are some tidbits of information:

Race horses in South Carolina had better endurance than many others due to the high iodine content in the water. South Carolina is/was known as the ‘Iodine State’ and this phrase was displayed on the license plates for many years. WIS was one of the first radio stations in South Carolina and the I and S stand for ‘Iodine State.’

Iodine is used by the military to put into canteens to help purify jungle water. When you are moving through a humid jungle, you need plenty of hydration. Just a personal note, if you ever get overheated and nauseated you can taste the iodine. Trust me on that.

Hunting dogs which had drops of apple cider vinegar placed on their food had better endurance than those which did not.

According to Dr. Jarvis, a prime pick up drink for lunch is to take two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and two teaspoons of honey in a glass of water. In this way, one can obtain acid taken up from the soil by fruit, berries edible leaves, and roots, and the energy from the sun which exist in honey. He also states that it is beneficial to start a meal with a leafy green salad, which gives you the benefit of the acid from the soil and the energy from the sun stored up in the leaves. One would guess that sunlight is sparse in Vermont winters.

Dr. Jarvis also states that many of his aged patients found success by rubbing castor oil on age spots or liver spots that appear on their face and hands. Castor oil can also be used to remove moles.

He also writes that one tablespoon of corn oil at mealtime will be helpful in controlling hay fever, asthma and migraines because it helps keep the urine reaction on the acid side. Apple cider vinegar is a useful remedy for arthritis. The honeycomb, without the honey, is good to chew for breathing problems.

Folk medicine was developed quite often by watching how animals reacted to certain conditions. An animal with fever quickly hunts an airy, shady place near water, then remains quiet and drinks plenty of water. An animal with rheumatism will find a spot in the hot sunlight.

The Cherokees used the roots, berries and turnips to eliminate wind in the stomach.